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Running for Something

When you are sitting on three quarters of a mil in your campaign account but not in office, I guess you have to run for something. A couple of weeks ago it was a possible race in Senate District 6. Now it could be a race for County Attorney. Here is a big piece from chron.com about former Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia and maybe her future political plans:

Garcia had $751,601 in her campaign account as of June 30, but she said her presence at Monday’s meeting shouldn’t be interpreted as a political gesture.

“Latinos are 40 percent of this county,” Garcia said. “For me, it’s really about making sure that Latinos are represented and represented fairly on this map. For anyone to suggest that (the county’s) proposal is a Latino opportunity precinct, it’s just plain laughable.”

Asked whether the opportunity she was working to preserve might be her own, she didn’t quite rule out a challenge to Morman in 2014.

“It’s too far down the road,” she said. “That is not a consideration or a factor at all in me doing any of this.”

Morman’s chair isn’t the only one Garcia potentially, someday, perhaps could be seeking, however.

The county has been filled with chatter about Garcia possibly challenging County Attorney Vince Ryan in next spring’s Democratic primary.

“Anybody who’s ever been in office looks at every ballot,” Garcia said when asked about the rumor. “I still have a lot of good life ahead of me and public service has been something that’s been a calling for me for many, many years. I do miss it, and I will look at every opportunity.”

Pressed specifically about a possible challenge to Ryan, she said, “Been there, done that — that’s all I’ll say officially.”

With that quip, Garcia may have been referencing her victory in the 1996 Democratic primary for county attorney over Terry O’Rourke, now Ryan’s First Assistant and right-hand man.

Garcia (then Houston’s chief municipal judge) won with 51 percent of the vote; O’Rourke took 30 percent and former county Court-at-Law Judge Al Leal was third. Garcia lost the general election to Republican Michael Fleming. Interestingly, Fleming was Morman’s boss in private practice when Morman beat Garcia last fall.

O’Rourke said he’d heard the whispers but said “chatter is chatter.” Robert Jara, whose Campaign Strategies firm represents Garcia, and Gerry Birnberg, chairman of the Harris County Democratic Party, said the first they’d heard of the rumor was when I asked them about it.

Ryan shared his thoughts, as well:

Garcia is “clearly a qualified person” who “knows county government,” and whom Ryan said he helped in her 1996 general election race for county attorney.

“I put my record up as county attorney and as a member of Houston City Council and all the other things I’ve done against anybody and everybody who might or may think about running against me, as a Democrat or a Republican,” Ryan said.

Ryan said if Garcia is considering a run based on her dissatisfaction with the way the county has pursued redistricting, that won’t affect the operations of his office as a final map is crafted.

“Our decisions won’t be based on Vince Ryan’s political future,” Ryan said. “They’ll be based on what the law is.”

Of course, if one is really in a rush, there is a possible run for Mayor, five at-large city council positions, or a District H race. Next year one can run for County Attorney, Tax Assessor Collector, District Attorney, U.S. Congress, U.S. Senator, President, SD 6, HD 148, County Department of Education, Dem County Chair, Precinct Chair, or County or District Judgeships. The possibilities are endless!

Chron.com also has a bit on former City Attorney Ben Hall mulling over a race for H-Town Mayor. Here is a taste:

When I asked Hall why he had still not declared, he said with a laugh, “Looks like she’s defeating herself. She doesn’t need an opponent.”

Reds shortstop Edgar Renteria had his 9th career grand salami last night to put him tied for 74th all time. Numero 45 has 15 career grand salamis and is tied for 12th all time. There is only one active player with more grand salamis than Numero 45 – name the player.

My old pal Robert Miller put this out yesterday:

Pam Holm, who represented District G on the Houston City Council from 2004 through 2009, has decided to run to replace Speaker Beverly Woolley in Texas HD 136.

Ms. Holm was a prolific fundraiser the three successful campaigns she ran for City Council and in her unsuccessful race for City Controller in 2009. She was also a tireless door to door campaigner when first elected in 2003, knocking on 19,000 doors in her winning campaign against 6 male opponents.

I don’t know about knocking on 19,000 doors. That has to be a Guinness Book of World Records. I think Robert just pasted on the press release. How many pairs of shoes was that now?

Reports say that only 10,000 folks will show up at this Saturday’s Prayer Caucus at Reliant. I wonder what time the tailgating partying starts.

The Chron said the ‘Stros would be 14-12 in July but we went 6-20. The Chron said we would be 50-58 through July but we were 35-73. What do they know?

A-Roid of course has 21 career grand salamis and is tied for 2nd all time.

Los Astros had seven Latinos in the starting line-up last night which I guess could be a record – maybe. I hear the team is asking the non Latinos to start taking Spanish lessons. I guess it was only fitting that Wandy gave up un gran salami to a fellow Latino. We’re 1-1 en Agosto!